Mock sentencing offers criminal justice insight

About 50 people are expected to come to Alice Springs courts for a mock sentencing session tonight as part of Law Week activities.

Justice Peter Barr is hosting the event.

He says it is an opportunity to answer any questions that members of the public have about sentencing.

He says people are often confused about what a non-parole sentence means.

"One of the things that people are concerned about is what non-parole periods actually mean, whether ... a non-parole period just means the person gets out automatically or whether there's some intervening process that screens and further filters that person to see whether or not that person can be released," he said.

He says people should read the full judgments on a case if they are concerned about its outcome.

"Often when people hear something or read an article that makes them concerned about a sentence, my first thought to them is to get ... [the] full sentencing judgment online which they can get from the Supreme Court website," he said.

Justice Barr says this is the first time a public sentencing session has been held in Alice Springs since he has been a judge.

"I think people are very concerned about the level of violence in and around the community and will be interested to ask questions about those sort of issues ... we'll be there, well I'll be there to field any questions they may have and try to resolve them for them," he said.